Professional PMOCast

In this episode, Mark Ferguson talks to us about the importance of understanding the business case for your project and understanding how it fits into the organisational governance context.

He also warns us against underestimating the importance of stakeholder engagement, and taking what you are told at face value.

This interview is also available as a video at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars

This is one of Pragmatic PMO's interview series "Scary Scars Shared". In these interviews, Ken asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes what they learned from their most successful and their challenging project management experiences (scars).

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from Amazon http://bit.ly/KensLLBook

In this episode, Nicole Reilly warns us what can happen if you make the wrong assumptions and don't use operational subject matter experts.

She also tells us about how good and consistent communication to stakeholders helps to manage their expectations and increase adoption.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this interview, Martin Dowsett tells us how he uses checklists to make sure small but important things don't get forgotten.

He also tells us how he brought a project that was over budget back on track, and how he created and used a set of guiding principles to keep it there.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this episode, Adam Al-Shemmeri talks about how incremental delivery can increase flexibility - even in construction!

He also talks about running projects when the sponsor's freedom to make decisions is limited - and how he worked around it.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this episode, Real Project Manager Shreekant Patel tells us about how he creates and uses templates for repeatable tasks, and gets to know his stakeholders.

He also tells us about his challenges with IT application testing, and how investing intelligently in infrastructure and test data can help.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this episode, Ken Burrell of Pragmatic PMO introduces the “Scary Scars Shared” (formerly "Successes and Scars Shared") interview series, in which he asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this episode, John McIntyre warns us to be careful when using averages to work out project durations (and explains how they are more useful at project level than task level).

He also advises us to consider segmenting stakeholders using whatever criteria are useful to the project in hand, and reminds us that using averages to calculate durations can be very effective in the right circumstances (e.g. when considering programmes or portfolios).

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this interview, Zoe O'Toole tells us how she went into a hostile, change-fatigued environment with no project portfolio overview and implemented project and portfolio reporting. She shares how she gained trust and improved communication, and reminds us to listen and understand before making recommendations for change.

This interview is also available as a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVk-XAHIKE4&list=PL1ZmB1dbMaa1uauuDxHoxxMDyVV_oQIPs&index=25

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this interview, Richard Humphrey tells us how what he thought was a sensible and pragmatic suggestion was summarily dismissed. He reminds us to pay attention to stakeholders' environment, and reminds us that incremental change is often better received and longer lasting than step change.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared

In this episode, Paul Lomax gives us an example of the dangers in taking instructions and information at face value, and encourages us to communicate well and frequently to keep everyone on the same page.

This interview is part of Pragmatic PMO’s “Scary Scars Shared” series, in which Ken BurrelI asks Real Project Managers to share in around ten minutes the lessons they have learned from managing projects, so that the whole project management community can learn from their experiences. 

You can find the entire series at http://bit.ly/ScaryScars (video) and http://bit.ly/PragmaticPMOCast (audio, or search for “PragmaticPMOCast” wherever you get your podcasts)

Sharing short, sharp, project lessons interviews like this is just one of the pragmatic pointers recommended in Ken's book “Learning lessons from Projects: How it works, why it goes wrong, and how it you can do it better”, available from http://bit.ly/KensLLBook 

The Pragmatic PMO Channel is here to support project managers and PMO people. 

Here's where to find Pragmatic PMO:
 • https://www.PragmaticPMO.com
• https://twitter.com/PragmaticPMO
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/pragmaticpmo
• https://www.facebook.com/PragmaticPMO

Sign up to the (approximately!) monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/844d51587a6c/pragmatic-pmo-mailing-list-sign-up

#PragmaticPMO #PMO #ProjectManagement #LessonsLearned #SuccessesAndScarsShared #ScaryScarsShared